Added 3 October 2026
mannerism
/ˈmænəˌɹɪzəm/ noun
Coined: a coined word, by Luigi Lanzi Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about mannerism at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A noticeable personal habit, a verbal or other (often, but not necessarily unconscious) habitual behavior peculiar to an individual.
- Exaggerated or affected style in art, speech, or other behavior.
noun
- In literature, an ostentatious and unnatural style of the second half of the sixteenth century. In the contemporary criticism, described as a negation of the classicist equilibrium, pre-Baroque, and deforming expressiveness.
- In fine art, a style that is inspired by previous models, aiming to reproduce subjects in an expressive language.
Origin
From Italian manierismo, from maniera, coined by Luigi Lanzi at the end of the 18ᵗʰ century.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)